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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30130470">i can't kiss you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dfkshkjs/pseuds/dfkshkjs'>dfkshkjs</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops &amp; Cafés, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Fluff, Fluff, Found Family, M/M, Misophonia, OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Slice of Life, Some angst, Strangers to Lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:07:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30130470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dfkshkjs/pseuds/dfkshkjs</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sakusa finds himself looking forward to seeing Atsumu and finding out what he’ll order each day. And sometimes he hopes that Atsumu will say something stupid so he can laugh about it and watch him try to recover his pride. He even wishes that Atsumu would ask more questions so he could talk to him more. It’s beyond just being bored and alone at work--Sakusa really likes talking to him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Miya Atsumu/Sakusa Kiyoomi, Sakusa Kiyoomi &amp; Ushijima Wakatoshi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>finally trying to write a longer project! i want to see sakusa happy and i also want to represent his ocd properly so i'm doing a story where he has a fulfilling relationship with miya even though there are a lot of things he can't do. it's entirely self-indulgent but i hope you like it too &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Sakusa’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</p><p> </p><p>Despite being a morning person, Sakusa Kiyoomi works the evening shift five nights every week at Joushou Coffee. He’s exhausted, but he needs the money and he will always choose sleep deprivation over crowds. So he cleans and organizes and sweeps and restocks until he can finally rest. </p><p>Sakusa turned twenty a couple weeks ago and he's been renting an apartment with Ushijima as soon as it became possible for him to do so. It’s a five minute walk from his workplace, and walking ten more minutes in the same direction takes him to the library of the nearest college campus. It’s just close enough that the occasional student comes in, but most opt for the restaurants on school grounds.</p><p>His attention is brought towards a note his manager has left near the cash register. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Make sure to order enough ingredients for the new wave of customers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>      - K </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em> Oh, Right. School starts next week. </em> He tosses the note into the recycling bin and walks into the back to count their inventory and estimate how much more they’ll need. The beginning of the school year is always the worst because the first-years get overly excited about exploring the area around their new school. Sakusa orders an extra carton of oat milk, just in case. He places the order and leaves a note by the cash register listing what he bought. <em> The supplier ran out of non-dairy creamer, </em>he adds before taping it to the monitor. </p><p>He puts on his rubber gloves and spends the rest of the night mopping the floor and disinfecting the tables. All the tables and chairs are wooden and only the ones near the electric fireplace have cushions. It’s the end of the week so he replaces them and tosses the dirty ones into a bag. He’ll have to wash those before tomorrow’s shift. </p><p>As soon as ten o’clock hits, Sakusa locks the door and leaves. He kicks off his shoes when he gets home and throws the bag into the laundry hamper along with his mask and apron. He then goes straight to the kitchen to wash his hands and face. Ushijima silently nods at him and he nods back. </p><p>It’s a small apartment. Ushijima and Sakusa have their own bedrooms, which are on either side of their shared bathroom. Sakusa’s bedroom is on the right side of the bathroom, and everything on the bathroom counter to the right of the sink belongs to him. The items on the lower shelves are Sakusa’s and the higher shelves are for Ushijima. When Sakusa and Ushijima first moved in together, Sakusa was weary of sharing a space with anyone, so they developed this system very quickly. It works well for the both of them. </p><p>Sakusa can see Ushijima from the kitchen, since the only thing that separates it from the living room is an island. After his hands are clean, he dries them on his towel, which hangs on the right side of the stove, and walks over to the couch to see what Ushijima is reading. </p><p>“Tendou showed it to me,” he explains, and pats the area beside him to invite Sakusa to sit down. </p><p>Sakusa ignores the gesture and asks, “is it good?”</p><p>“It hasn’t started yet,” Ushijima responds, despite already being on page four. “I’m on the part about shampoo.” He likes to read the ads too, because he feels incomplete if he doesn’t read every word. “This one is guava scented.”</p><p>“Gross.”</p><p>“You use this brand.”</p><p>“I do, but mine smells like argan oil. I’d get unscented if I could, but my hair gets too frizzy without the argan oil. I’m going to shower now.” He heads to the bathroom without looking back for a response.</p><p>To an outsider, Sakusa’s interactions with Ushijima can seem painfully awkward. They both speak in choppy sentences and say nothing more than what’s necessary. To both of them, though, it’s a relief to be able to speak like this. Evening conversations are especially low energy because they’re both too tired to play pretend. Ushijima’s the only person Sakusa feels comfortable enough around to take off his mask, both literally and figuratively, so he lets himself act the way that feels most natural to him whenever Ushijima is around.</p><p>Ten minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom with a silk bonnet in his hair and a towel wrapped around his body. He washed his hair the day before, so it’s still dry and he’s gotten it ready for bed. He goes into his bedroom to put on flannel pyjama pants and an oversized t-shirt before finally accepting his roommate’s invitation to sit on the couch. </p><p>“Welcome back,” Ushijima says, and Sakusa nods in response. They sit in silence until Ushijima finishes reading his page. “What do you want to watch?” </p><p>“Up to you.”</p><p>“Eat something.”</p><p>Sakusa rolls his eyes and heads into the kitchen. He pours some crackers into his favourite bowl with some almonds, chocolate chips, and candies as he watches Ushijima flip through the channels. Sakusa grabs a pair of chopsticks and heads back onto the couch, but before he can sit down, Ushijima says, “drink something too.”</p><p>“Fine. You too then,” sounds a bit more like a threat than anything else, but he sets his bowl onto the coffee table and comes back with two cups of water: one cup from the top shelf and one from the bottom. They end up watching the last half hour of a bad rom-com before retreating into their bedrooms for the rest of the night. </p><p>When morning comes, Sakusa is already overwhelmed by everything he has to do. He sits on the side of his bed, swinging his feet back and forth so he doesn’t get too dizzy when he stands up, and then he finally makes his way to the bathroom to get ready. </p><p>Ushijima wakes up earlier than Sakusa does, and he’s on the couch again reading manga. “Good morning, Kiyoomi.”</p><p>“You too,” he responds lamely, putting enough whole wheat bread in the toaster-oven for both of them. He slides it out of the bag to avoid touching it. </p><p>“This is good. I finished the first chapter.” </p><p>“How long have you been awake?”</p><p>“Since six,” which was half an hour ago. Sakusa sits on the couch beside him and glares at the hamper across the room. “Laundry today?” and Sakusa nods in response. </p><p>“My boss will probably want me to buy some creamer before work, too. Our supplier didn’t have any when I placed orders last night. I’ll wash your towels for you when I go do laundry. And then I have to deal with the new wave of first years during my evening shift.”</p><p>Ushijima tries and fails to make Sakusa less nervous by saying, “they’re the same age as you.”</p><p>“Funny,” Sakusa bites back, and the toaster-oven beeps. He doesn't go to college, but he is the same age as the first-years, since he graduated high school last year.</p><p>“I didn’t make a joke.” Ushijima states plainly.</p><p>“When do you have class? I’ll walk you there,” and it’s something like a peace offering for snapping at Ushijima. He slides the toast onto two plates with a knife, and then uses a different knife to place butter on top of them. Sakusa keeps the second knife for himself and uses it to pierce the bread and lift it up to his mouth. He doesn’t ever like to touch his food if he can avoid it. </p><p>Ushijima meets him in the kitchen to take his own plate and says his class is in two hours. Sakusa retreats to his own bedroom and kills time until then. He picks up his phone, and sure enough, his boss has texted him. </p><p> </p><p>From: </p><p>Kita Shinsuke </p><p>             7:04am:  Can you pick up some non-dairy creamer? </p><p> </p><p>Sakusa makes a mental note to do that after walking Ushijima to class. Walking with Ushijima is a good opportunity for him to get out of his comfort zone because he’s going to be in a crowd with someone who makes him feel safe, and he’ll be outside. It’s only fifteen minutes and he can escape at any time. He watches a bad movie to try and turn his mind off but his heart is still pounding when he hears the knock on his bedroom door signalling that it’s time to go. He tries his best to ignore the lump in his throat.</p><p>He puts on his mask and shoes, deciding that it’s best not to drag the laundry hamper around if he’ll have to be weaving around crowds of people on the street. He can come back for it later. </p><p>Ushijima presents him with an opportunity to escape when they walk past a grocery store, but Sakusa refuses. He wants to get better, and the way to do that is to face his fears. He doesn’t miss the small smile on Ushijima’s face, which he takes as a signal that his best friend is proud of him. Sakusa watches him enter his classroom before heading back outside, and as soon as he’s out of the crowd, he slumps his back against the building and takes a deep breath through his mask. </p><p>Sakusa takes the long way back to the store, walking down side streets and through residential areas to give himself the break he needs from that crowd. The detour was unnecessary since all classes start on the hour and the crowd has dissipated, but the long walk allowed Sakusa to recover from the stress of being right in the middle of it all. </p><p> </p><p>To: </p><p>Kita Shinsuke </p><p>             9:12am: i’m at the store. they don’t have the brand we usually get. </p><p> </p><p>To that, Kita requested that Sakusa buy a small container of whatever they have available. The suppliers should have the usual brand back in stock before tomorrow, anyway, and Sakusa can place an order for it tonight. He goes to the laundromat after buying the creamer and some snacks for himself and Ushijima so that he can avoid Joushou Coffee during its busiest time. </p><p>He heads there around noon, two hours before his shift begins, to drop off the creamer and the newly cleaned cushions. Kita takes it with a grateful smile and bow.</p><p>“Suna, we’ve got the creamer!” Kita shouts into the kitchen. “He’s helpin’ Akaashi out right now with bakin’,” he explains, since Suna is usually taking orders at the front of the store. “It’s good to see ya, Sakusa-kun. Not often that the four of us are all together outside of budget meetings. You can go see ‘em if ya want.”</p><p>Sakusa pops his head around the corner and sees Suna covered in flour, trying his best to help out the regular baker. He cringes at the idea of Suna preparing food for anyone. </p><p>Suna is the first to say “Kiyoomi! Hi!” and Akaashi follows with a silent greeting. </p><p>“Hi,” Sakusa looks at both of his coworkers, “...I brought you the creamer.” Sakusa is good friends with Suna and Kita, but Akaashi has only been working there for a month, and he exclusively works mornings. Sakusa still isn’t familiar with him. </p><p>“Too bad you and Akaashi never get to work together. He’s an excellent baker,” Suna muses. He stops to clap the flour out of his hands and into the sink, and in between claps he says, “Kita-san’s thinking of treating us all to ramen,” he wipes his hands on his apron, “to boost morale or something.” Sakusa tries not to be visibly disgusted by Suna’s actions. </p><p>“Yeah, but he’s probably just doing it to see if you and I get along,” Akaashi adds, while Sakusa puts the creamer in the fridge. He wonders why Kita cares about this stuff. It’s not like Sakusa will ever have to interact with Akaashi. </p><p>Sakusa nods. “It was good to see you, Akaashi,” and he doesn’t mean it. He turns on his heel to exit the store. </p><p>When Sakusa gets back home, he separates and folds the clean laundry as soon as his hands are clean. Ushijima’s in the living room, already doing one of his readings for school. </p><p>“How was it?”</p><p>“My first class was good. I had the same professor last year and she likes me.” Ushijima is dedicated to volleyball, but he’s studying engineering part-time to please his mother. “Did you do everything?”</p><p>“Yes. I’m going to eat before work. Do you want something?” Even though he gets free food at work, Sakusa got into the habit of making his own lunches before his shifts ever since Akaashi became the baker. It’s great that Joushou has become successful enough to need a proper baker, but Sakusa doesn’t know Akaashi. After seeing Suna in the kitchen, Sakusa is certain that he was right not to trust Akaashi’s baking. </p><p>Ushijima looks deep in thought. “Youshoku, please.” It’s the same thing he eats every day, but he still thinks about it every time. </p><p>“On it,” and he doubles the recipe for himself. Living with Ushijima is nice because he always knows what he wants to eat, even if it’s just youshoku every day. Sakusa finds it hard to decide for himself, so he likes to make two of whatever his roommate wants. It helps to be doing it for someone else, too, because Sakusa never cooks whole meals just for himself. </p><p>They eat together and continue to talk about their days before Sakusa has to change into his work clothes and go to start his shift. </p><p>Suna’s at the front of the shop and his apron is still covered in white powder. “Great, you’re here. See you tomorrow,” he says, and leaves immediately. He always lights up when he sees Sakusa, mostly because he’s been classically conditioned to associate him with his shift ending. Kita is in the kitchen cleaning up after Suna, and he leaves as soon as flour no longer covers every surface. </p><p>Sakusa goes through the motions of his job, carefully making drinks and serving baked goods to customers. At this time of year, the lineup is mostly quiet people who came by themselves, since the first-years haven’t made any friends yet. It keeps Sakusa busy, but the crowd isn't as loud and overwhelming as he expects them to become in the next couple of weeks when people start to come in groups. He’s already bracing himself for it. </p><p>The lineups become shorter as the sun sets and Sakusa finally sits down behind the counter to eat the extra food he made earlier. His mask hangs from one ear as he takes his freshly heated youshoku out of the microwave. He only eats one bite before he hears the door open. </p><p>“What can I get for you?” Sakusa calls, without really looking up. </p><p>“Still lookin’” the stranger mumbles, staring up at the menu. </p><p>“Take your time.” Sakusa puts his food down after taking one more bite and finally looks back up after putting his mask back on. </p><p>“Okay, I’m ready now,” and Sakusa stares until the stranger orders “one large latte with whole milk and no sugar, please.” He punches it into the cash register and turns around to start making it. He keeps his back turned a bit longer than he needs to before finally placing the cup on the counter. He wonders why he feels so shy until he notices that he’s been under the customer’s gaze this entire time. </p><p>“What does it mean?” the customer inquires, looking at the logo on the cup. </p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Joushou. What does it mean?” And Sakusa sees a stupid grin on the stranger’s face.</p><p>Sakusa answers the question quickly. “It means invincible.” </p><p>“Why’d ya call it that?”</p><p>“The manager named it.” It’s a half-lie, since Kita and him came up with it together. </p><p>The customer seems somewhat disappointed when he says, “thank you, Sakusa-san,” He must have read Sakusa’s name tag. “I’m Miya Atsumu. I’ll see you tomorrow.”</p><p>“Have a good night, Miya-san,” and then Miya bows and walks out. Sakusa isn’t hungry anymore, but he eats anyway. He attributes the feeling to the fact that a stranger tried to have a conversation with him after an already stressful day, so he tries to get Miya off his mind. His heart flutters in his chest and he calls it anxiety. Sakusa tells himself that he is absolutely <em> not </em> excited to see him again. Not after what happened the last time he fell for someone. </p><p> </p><p>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Atsumu’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</p><p> </p><p>After a long first day of classes, Atsumu checks the map on his phone for a nearby coffee shop. He wants to try something new but he’s already tasted everything on the menus of the franchises they have on campus, so he scans the map for a name he doesn’t recognize. Joushou Coffee. It’s gotten excellent reviews, so he arrives after a ten minute walk. </p><p>The barista is eating behind the counter. He has black curly hair and his resting face is a scowl. A black mask hangs from one ear. Atsumu swears he’s the most beautiful person he’s ever seen, and he’s already made it his mission to see that man smile.</p><p>Somehow, Atsumu is startled when he hears “What can I get for you?” He forgot that he was there to buy something. </p><p>“Still lookin’” and he can’t concentrate on the menu. He’s no longer concerned with trying something flashy, since after looking at that barista, he knows he’s already found his new regular spot. </p><p>The “take your time,” that follows sounds like something that has left the barista’s mouth a hundred times, and Atsumu wonders what a laugh would sound like in the same voice. He spits out the first order that comes to mind and watches the young man type it into the register. </p><p>He works slowly, but every movement is precise. Atsumu watches the barista wash his hands twice, scrubbing between every finger and under his nails. He notices way he lifts the cup from the bottom and shimmies it out of the stack, as if he is trying to touch it as little as possible. He sees the coffee pour out the machine, and is mesmerized by how delicately the man stirs it. He’s making his way to the counter now, with the finished drink. Now is Atsumu’s chance to say something, but his mind has gone blank. </p><p>“What does it mean?”</p><p>The barista looks up with confused eyes. “What?” </p><p>Atsumu silently curses himself, but he covers up his awkwardness with a grin. “Joushou. What does it mean?” </p><p>“It means invincible.” What a bland response. Why did Atsumu think this would be a good conversation starter? </p><p>“Why’d ya call it that?” <em> Nice recovery, </em>he tells himself. </p><p>“The manager named it.”</p><p>Realizing that the barista doesn’t feel too talkative, Atsumu glances down at his name tag and finishes with, “thank you, Sakusa-san. I’m Miya Atsumu. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sakusa. Such a beautiful name.</p><p>“Have a good night, Miya-san.” The sentence repeats itself in Atsumu’s head for the rest of the night. </p><p>The next day, he shows up a little later than last time, to make sure he doesn’t catch Sakusa when he’s eating or busy. </p><p>“What can I get for you?” he asks, the same way he did before. </p><p>“What’s yer favourite thing to make?” </p><p>Sakusa’s expression says <em> I don’t like making any of it, </em>but his voice says “salted caramel latte. You don’t like sweet coffee though.” </p><p>Atsumu’s heart soars when Sakusa remembers that he asked for no sugar last time. Either Sakusa remembers everyone, or it means something. Out of dumb optimism, he chooses to believe the latter. “Make it without it, then. I’ll have a medium.”</p><p>A long pause makes Atsumu realize his mistake. “Miya-san, caramel is made of sugar.” </p><p>“Fine then,” Atsumu is too proud to change his order. “I’ll have a medium.” And, again, he covers up his awkwardness with a sweet smile.</p><p>He pays attention to the way Sakusa shimmies the cup out of the stack and then turns it around to pour caramel sauce all over the inside. After the coffee pours, Sakusa tops it with whipped cream and carefully grinds salt onto it. He looks beyond annoyed when some salt grains inevitably land on the counter around the cup.</p><p>“I see. You like trying to aim the salt grinder so it doesn’t spill out of the cup,” Atsumu states as he takes his drink from the counter. He takes a sip and tries not to look disgusted by how sweet it is.</p><p>“I like to drizzle the caramel sauce in the cup,” Sakusa corrects him, and then wishes him a good night. </p><p>"See you tomorrow, Sakusa-san!" Atsumu still finishes his drink, appreciating that Sakusa said a full sentence to him. <em> It was completely unnecessary, too! He could have agreed with me and gotten rid of me earlier! </em> And he takes it as proof that Sakusa likes him. He doesn’t care if he’s grasping for straws. He’ll make Sakusa like him.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>next chapter is the ramen date &amp; we get to learn how everyone met each other!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Sakusa’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sakusa stands in front of the bathroom mirror, raking some leave-in conditioner through his damp curls. He’s thinking about what to wear to dinner with his coworkers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t know why Kita-san wanted me to do this,” he complains through the open door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ushijima looks up from his homework and into the bathroom and answers, “You said it was to boost morale. Kita-san likes to do things properly so maybe he wants to feel like he’s set up a nice work environment for you all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s what he told us,” Sakusa groans, twisting gel into sections of his hair. “I never even need to see Akaashi though. And I’d rather eat my own food.” He takes another moment in the mirror to fix the way his hair is parted and then walks into the living room. Ushijima nods in understanding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When are you going?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our reservation is for seven, but the shop closes at six today.” Meetings are always held on Sunday because it’s the only day of the week that they close early enough for everyone to actually do something after. He walks towards his bedroom and continues, “Suna insisted on picking me up right after his shift so I’ll probably have to be there way earlier than I’d like to.” He shuffles through his closet for a black turtleneck and puts it on before standing in the doorway and calling, “Wakatoshi, is this good? Should I wear a jacket on top?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice. You should wear your jean jacket,” he suggests. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa chuckles at the suggestion. “There’s no way I’m wearing denim on denim,” and he walks back into his room to change the whole outfit. His hair is almost dry when he settles on a black button up shirt. The top three buttons are left open, and he has a light brown cardigan on top. He keeps the shirt tucked into his straight-legged jeans, complete with Ushijima’s leather belt because Sakusa doesn’t own one in a shade of brown that looks as good with his cardigan. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This time Sakusa walks out of his room, he doesn’t need to ask for his roommate’s reassurance. He already knows he looks good. Ushijima’s suggestion to wear a necklace is still appreciated though, so Sakusa goes back into his room to get one short silver chain and one long one with a moon-shaped charm. Sakusa’s phone lights up with a text from Suna, so he completes his look with a black mask and says goodbye to Ushijima.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suna’s waiting in his car wearing grey sweatpants and a t-shirt with his school’s name on it. “Loosen up, Kiyoomi. It’s just your coworkers,” he pokes fun as soon as Sakusa enters the car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just got here!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but your outfit says it all. You’re thinking way too much about this. It’s free dinner.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa finds it unsettling how Suna can tell he’s nervous just from what he’s wearing, but he refuses to show any confirmation when he looks Suna up and down to retort, “okay, bare-minimum-san.” Neither of them has seen anyone else yet, so for all they know, Suna might be the one who’s underdressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe so,” Suna laughs as he starts the car. “I wonder why he chose a place that’s so far away. They better have really good ramen if he’s dragging us all the way to Higashinari-ku.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s a twenty minute drive away from Joushou Coffee, so it’s still in Osaka but it’s two wards over. There are other popular ramen places within close walking distance of the shop, so of course Suna and Akaashi probably find it odd that Kita chose this one. Sakusa knows that it’s because Kita wants him to be as comfortable as possible. Sakusa gets anxious in restaurants and he doesn’t like eating food that other people made, so Kita went out of his way to look for a place where they prepare it right in front of you. This is the closest place that does that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa and Suna are the first to arrive, but they don’t have to wait long for the others. It’s an awkward greeting since the four of them have never gotten together outside of work, but they quickly get used to each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all sit down at their table and Akaashi’s the first to start a conversation. “So, Sakusa-san, Kita-san says you’ve been working together since the very beginning,” and he’s inviting Sakusa to tell the rest of the story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa takes off his mask, folds it, and puts it in his pocket before finally talking. “We’ve known each other since high school,” he states flatly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kita tries to ease the tension by explaining, “When I was in my third year and Kiyoomi was in ‘is second, we went to the same job fair an’ we were both interested in th’ panel on small businesses.” Sakusa can tell by the way Kita motions for him to continue that he’s trying to open up a path to his friendship with Akaashi, but he doesn’t respond. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi glances at Sakusa, who is silent, so he decides to look back at Kita and continue talking. “Did you already have Joushou in mind?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I knew I wanted to start some kind o’ restaurant, since I grew up on a farm with my gran’ma and we always had fresh ingredients. Started talkin’ to Kiyoomi ‘cause he was next to me, and we became friends. Coffee shop was his idea and I already knew how to bake usin’ the wheat from our farm, so that’s how we decided on it”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The waiter arrives at the table and takes everyone’s orders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suna is the first to continue the conversation while they wait for the chef. “So, Akaashi, do you live close to here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My place is a five-minute walk from Joushou.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Which direction?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“West.” This earns a glance from Sakusa, so Akaashi continues, “I live in the building across from the bank.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa finally speaks up to say, “me too. Fifth floor.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Akaashi smiles. “I’m on the second. We moved there in December.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We? So you have roommates?” Sakusa asks, and Kita looks happy that Sakusa is finally showing some interest in Akaashi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I officially live with my fiance and roommate right now, but our roommate’s boyfriend is almost always there too so he might as well live with us. We usually have friends over, too. How about you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have one roommate. We’ve lived together since I graduated.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You sound so responsible,” Suna muses. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Job fairs in second year, moving out and starting a business as soon as you graduate,” Akaashi recounts, “Sounds like you’ve gotten it all together. Good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa laughs dryly and the chef arrives with a cart full of ingredients and dishes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa inspects his plate and chopsticks, holding them up to the light to look for imperfections, and the chef finally comes with a cart full of ingredients. Sakusa pays attention to every movement the chef makes, and keeps track of every surface he touches. Sakusa is satisfied with the way the chef washes his hands. He scrubs for twenty-three seconds (Sakusa counts), but Sakusa feels his heart drop when the chef touches the cart immediately after. He swivels it to give himself better access to the ingredients, and then uses his hands to take vegetables and meat onto the table to start chopping them. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Where has the cart been? What else could it have touched? Who else could have touched it? Which germs are common in places like this? How often does that cart get disinfected? How long has it been since another person touched it? Could someone have touched it after touching raw eggs or meat? It’s a smooth surface, and under these temperature conditions, salmonella can live for as long as-- </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s brought back to the present when he feels a gentle kick from under the table. Sakusa looks up to see who it could have been, and Kita nods in the direction of the grill, silently telling him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>look. It’s getting cooked. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The chef is spreading out the chopped meat and vegetables onto the heat, so Sakusa looks for indicators of how hot the grill is, and starts counting the seconds to make sure it’s being cooked long enough and hot enough to kill all of the germs. He’s still a little uneasy after, but he decides that this ramen is edible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’re all silent for a while as they enjoy their food, and then Kita gets to talking again. “Where did ya live before, Akaashi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tokyo,” he says with his mouth full, and then continues after swallowing. “My roommate and fiance, too. We knew each other in high school. Koutarou--my fiance--moved here to be closer to his team, so I came with him. Our roommate came here to study chemistry. I’m pretty sure he goes to the same college as Suna.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s nice,” Kita responds. “Suna and I went to high school in Hyogo-ken. We didn’t know each other that well ‘til we came across each other in Osaka, though. Bumped into each other on the bus. Was nice to see a familiar face so we started talking and I ended up offerin’ him a job. What kind of team is Koutarou-san on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Volleyball.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa speaks up, “My roommate plays volleyball too. His name is Ushijima. He’s from Miyagi-ken but he moved to Osaka because he wants to play on the MSBY Black Jackals. But he needs to do his engineering degree first to please his mother.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s Koutarou’s team,” Akaashi says with a smile. Sakusa has never seen someone look so proud of another person before. “You two should come with me to watch one of his games sometime. I can get you in for free.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the night is filled with silly jokes, horror stories about different types of customers, and embarrassing public transit moments. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me drive you home,” Akaashi offers, “Since we live in the same building.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa declines. “Suna drove me here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Akaashi responds. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suna doesn’t understand why he’s being brought into this. “No, it’s fine, go with him. It’s easier on me that way, too. Thanks for the offer, Akaashi.” Everyone says goodnight and heads to their cars. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Sakusa finally gets home, Ushijima is playing video games and eating candies out of a bowl. He instinctively knows that Sakusa is way too exhausted to tell him all about dinner, but he knows he’ll get to hear all about it tomorrow. They exchange a quick greeting and Sakusa heads straight to the shower.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes off his necklaces and sets them on the counter before lazily shaking off his clothes. He isn’t too concerned with what others think of him, but he wonders if Akaashi will go out of his way to become his friend now that he knows they’re in the same building. Sakusa is happy living with Ushijima, but he’s far from Tokyo and the only other person he’s close to is Kita. Suna’s a good friend and he’s starting to see through Sakusa’s cold exterior, but Sakusa’s never let himself confide in him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa stands under the hot water and lets himself get used to the temperature before washing his body. When he comes out, he brushes his teeth and slips into his pyjamas and bonnet and goes to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ushijima wakes up at six, his usual time. Sakusa sleeps in until seven. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good morning, Wakatoshi.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kiyoomi,” he says in acknowledgement, nodding at his video game. “You slept in. Tired?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sakusa hums “mmhm,” meaning “yes.” He yawns and puts some water to boil, and then sits on the couch beside Ushijima. “That dinner was exhausting. What’re you playing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stardew valley. It’s a farming simulator. Do you want to watch?” Sakusa nods, so Ushijima takes the joycons from his Nintendo switch and passes it to Sakusa to put it on the television display. Sakusa watches Ushijima’s character go mining until the water boils, and then he makes himself instant oatmeal. It’s apple-cinnamon flavoured.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After he’s eaten enough to wake himself up a bit more, Sakusa starts talking about the dinner. “I don’t know how Suna could tell I was nervous just from my outfit. It’s creepy how he notices that kind of stuff. Also, you know Akaashi?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The baker?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. Did you know he lives in our building?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why would I know that?” He’s asking genuinely.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“His fiance plays volleyball, too,” Sakusa continues, “And he’s on MSBY. Akaashi invited us both to go watch a game.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Sakusa stretches and puts his bowl away. He watches Ushijima farm for two more hours until he finally has to leave for school. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can make an account,” Ushijima says, before leaving. He does, and he plays until it’s time for him to go to work. </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>next time we get to see miya again :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Atsumu’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</p><p> </p><p>Only a week into classes, Atsumu’s already at the library getting books for an assignment. He’s in college to become a plumber, but he’ll need a credit in the humanities to graduate so he decides to get that out of the way in his first year. As his eyes scan the bookshelf, he is still very much annoyed that he needs to learn Japanese history to become a plumber.</p><p>He ends up taking four books out. At least one of them should have something he needs in it, and the quicker he can get out of the library, the better. He’s hungry and he figures he can look through the books once he’s in Joushou. </p><p>“What can I get for you?” Sakusa greets.</p><p>Atsumu smiles. “Sakusa-san! Gimme a minute...”</p><p>“Take your time, Miya-san.” Atsumu looks over the menu. It’s almost evening and he’d barely eaten anything, so he orders a strawberry smoothie and a bran muffin. He receives the muffin first and then he watches Sakusa wash his hands twice and scoop frozen strawberries into the blender. Then he takes out the cup carefully, as he always does, and once he’s filled it he walks to the counter. “Whipped cream?”</p><p>“Yes, please,” and Sakusa puts on a generous amount before putting the lid on.</p><p>Sakusa notices a pile of four library books on the counter and sees that they belong to Atsumu. “Please keep those off the counter,” he says, a bit too seriously than the situation calls for. He doesn’t place the cup on the counter until the books are gone, and then Atsumu takes it from there and turns to get a seat. </p><p>“Oh, by the way,” Sakusa begins before Atsumu starts walking. Atsumu turns back around to make eye contact. “I met Joushou’s manager in high school and we opened this shop together.  The name was inspired by my school’s motto (<span class="t_nihongo_kanji"><b>常勝</b></span> <em><span class="t_nihongo_romaji">Jōshō</span></em>) because we thought it sounded nice.” </p><p>Atsumu smiles. “Ya remembered.”</p><p>“I remembered.” Sakusa repeats, and then turns around to get a spray bottle and disinfect the counter. Atsumu makes himself comfortable by the electric fireplace and starts flipping through the books. </p><p>When he finishes eating, he goes to dispose of his cup and the paper bag his muffin came in, and then sits back down onto the cushioned seat and puts on noise-cancelling headphones. He turns them on, but doesn’t play any music. He stays there for another two hours cycling between his phone and his books, until he sees Sakusa approach from the corner of his eye.</p><p>“If you’re going to stay this long, you need to buy something else.” Sakusa sounds like he’s just reciting store policy. His expression is unreadable, and the fact that half of it is covered makes it even harder. </p><p>Atsumu stares for a bit, trying to figure out whether he’s still welcome. Well, of course he is, it’s a coffee shop. He can stay all the way until closing if he wants to. But he wants this barista to like him, so he apologizes, packs his bag, and tips five hundred yen before leaving. </p><p> </p><p>Atsumu greets his brother as soon as he gets home. “Samu!”</p><p>“Wanna play Smash?” </p><p>Without saying anything, Atsumu sets up the switch and tosses a controller at Osamu. They play a couple of rounds before Osamu finally says, “Jeez, Tsumu, I can practically hear ya thinkin’. Spit it out.”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Osamu laughs “Why’re ya actin' suspicious?”</p><p>“Am not. Yer just tryna distract me ‘cause yer losin’” is what Atsumu says, but really, Osamu is winning by a lot. </p><p>“Suddenly yer shy. It’s a guy, then. I knew it.”</p><p>“No it-” Atsumu’s character gets killed and Osamu laughs triumphantly. </p><p>“Ya lost twice in a row now so ya have ta tell me. It’s only fair.”</p><p>“That’s not how it works but fine,” Atsumu begins, “There’s this hot barista but he’s confusin’ as hell.”</p><p>Osamu giggles. </p><p>“Shut up. I met ‘im last week and he’s kinda cold but he’s so sweet, too. I asked him the first time I saw him what the name of the store meant and he gave me a borin’ answer, but today he told me the real answer. Unprompted! Does that mean somethin'?”</p><p>Osamu opens his mouth to answer, but Atsumu continues, “And he said that right after telling me to get my books off the counter. He sounded so serious, too. Like he was mad. Almost thought he was gonna threaten me-”</p><p>“Coward.”</p><p>“And I stayed there for a couple a hours so he told me I need to buy somethin’ if I want to stay longer. Was he kickin’ me out, Samu?”</p><p>“Was probably just tellin’ ya the store’s policy. Don’t go gettin’ a big head and thinkin’ everyone who’s nice to ya is flirtin’. Probably couldn’t care less whether ya were in there or not.” It sounds more like advice coming from Osamu than it does an insult. </p><p>“Nah, hear me out, though. I asked him a week ago and not only did he remember, he decided to tell me. Seemed weirdly intimate, like he was finally opening up and tellin’ me a secret. Wouldn’t feel that way if he just told me straight up. Ya wouldn’t get it, Samu, ‘cause no one likes ya.” </p><p>That earns Atsumu a whack on the back of the head. "People like me just fine!"</p><p>“I’ll remember this next time ya lose twice in a row. Get ready to spill yer guts.” Atsumu says as Osamu starts another round. Osamu wins. </p><p> </p><p>The next time Atsumu goes to Joushou, Sakusa isn’t there. Instead, a silver-haired man with black tips takes his order. His name tag says Kita. </p><p>“Thanks,” Atsumu says as he takes his drink, “Is Sakusa-san not here today?”</p><p>Kita looks up. “He isn’t. Why, do ya know ‘im?”</p><p>“No, it’s not like that. Thought I’d see him here ‘cause he’s the one who usually takes my order.” After a short pause he adds, “Not that I have anything against ya!”</p><p>“I didn’t take it that way,” Kita laughs. “We all work here five days per week, but we alternate days so that we each get a chance to have weekends off.”</p><p>Atsumu bows and before heading out he says, “alright, thanks. Tell him I said hi, won’t ya?” </p><p>He doesn’t realize that he forgot to say his name until after he’s left the store. </p><p> </p><p>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Sakusa’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</p><p> </p><p>“Kiyoomi, do ya know a guy with bleached hair and a brown undercut?”</p><p>“The one who has a thick Kansai accent and doesn’t use toner?” Kita nods. “There’s a customer like that who’s been coming in every day for the past two weeks. Why?” Sakusa’s shift overlaps with Kita’s by three hours today, so they’ve been talking and cleaning together since Sakusa started.</p><p>“He was lookin’ for ya.”</p><p>Sakusa remembers their last encounter, where Miya probably thought he was getting kicked out. Miya tipped generously though, to show that he wasn’t mad about it. Sakusa felt a bit guilty after. </p><p>“What did he say?”</p><p>“He just wanted to know if ya were there. Said yer the one who usually takes his order. Either he really likes routine, or he wanted to see ya. Sounded like he likes ya.” </p><p>Sakusa freezes in his spot and then shakes his head. “No,” he pauses to think, “I have no reason to believe that he likes me. I may have been too nice to him, though.” </p><p>Kita nods, encouraging him to continue. </p><p>“Well, I do remember everything he’s ordered before. He gets something new each time. He’s tried to make conversation with me about the store’s name and I turned it down, only to bring it up myself a week later. I hope he didn’t make anything of it.”</p><p>“Why did ya do it? Yer not usually the type to dwell on strangers or conversations like that.” </p><p>Sakusa sighs. “I… I don’t know.” He’s telling the truth.  </p><p>“Ya don’t have to know everythin’,” Kita comforts him. “It doesn’t have to mean anythin’ either. Maybe he likes routine. He coulda been worried that ya had to call in sick or somethin’.” Sakusa agrees, and they change the topic, eventually separating to do their own tasks and occasionally having to stop and help customers. </p><p>After Kita leaves, Sakusa’s left alone with his thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>He’s happy when he sees Miya. Up until now, he’s been telling himself that it’s because he likes seeing familiar faces. There are a handful of other regulars, though, who he just goes through the motions with. </p><p>He finds himself looking forward to seeing Miya and finding out what he’ll order each day. And sometimes he hopes that Miya will order something stupid, like caramel without sugar, so he can laugh about it (lightheartedly, of course) and watch Miya try to recover his pride. He even wishes that Miya would ask more questions, so he could talk to him. It’s beyond just being bored and alone at work--he likes talking to him.</p><p>Soon enough, Miya walks in. </p><p>“What can I get for you?” Sakusa says, as if he didn’t just spend the past hour thinking about this man. “Take your time,” he adds, before Miya can say <em> gimme a minute, </em>like he always does. Atsumu laughs at his own predictability. Sakusa wonders when this conversation became a routine for him. </p><p>“Matcha latte, please, Sakusa-san.” Has Miya always slipped in his name so casually? (Yes, he has). Why does it sound so natural whenever it leaves his lips?</p><p>“With whole milk?”</p><p>“Yeah. My favourite.” Disgusting, but somewhat endearing. </p><p>Sakusa washes his hands twice before putting the milk to simmer. He whisks the matcha with boiling water and adds, “less sweetener than the usual recipe?” (“Aww ya remembered”). Miya hasn’t ordered this before, but Sakusa knows that he doesn’t like sugary drinks. He mixes the matcha and milk together and then shakes the top cup out of the stack using his thumb and two fingers. Once the drink is poured, he sets it on the counter. </p><p>This time, Miya takes it with a simple “thank you” and a bow, and once again Sakusa is left with his own thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ・Atsumu’s Perspective・ ʚ˚̣̣̣ɞ‿︵‿︵</p><p> </p><p>Atsumu finishes his drink on the walk home and throws out the cup as soon as he gets inside. </p><p>“Where’d ya go?” Osamu calls from across the room. </p><p>Atsumu snaps back, “Wouldn’t ya like to know?”</p><p>“Well, I <em> was </em> going to offer ya some onigiri, but since yer so rude I guess I’ll give it to ma.” </p><p>“<em> I’m </em>rude? Ya just threatened me!”</p><p>“No. I offered ya food, skidmark. I’m a nicer person than ya’ll ever be.”</p><p>“Skid… what? I was at the coffee shop, asswipe.”</p><p>“Asswipe? How unoriginal.” Osamu walks into the kitchen and takes another onigiri for himself. “The one with the sexy barista?” Atsumu follows and takes one as well. </p><p>“We were finishing each other’s sentences, Samu. Like soul mates or somethin’.” </p><p>“Bullshit,” Osamu knows that it’s an exaggeration. Atsumu is <em> so </em>dramatic. “Where is this place anyway?”</p><p>“Ya can’t have him.” Dramatic.</p><p>Osamu laughs at the mere suggestion of it. “I don’t want ‘im. Yer taste is terrible.” </p><p>“Yer gonna try and track him down so ya can embarrass me.”</p><p>“Nah, ya don't need my help with that,” Osamu teases. “But keep yer secrets. Yer comin’ with me to the game tomorrow?”</p><p>“Yer goin’?”</p><p>“Only if ya do.”</p><p>“Let’s go,” Atsumu says. It gives him another thing to look forward to. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry for saying "skidmark." the next chapter is bokuto's game, so please consider it my formal apology for saying "asswipe" as well. it'll take me a while because it's exam season, but i'll make up for that by making it twice as long as usual!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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